Is A Carpet Beetle A Bed Bug

The main difference is the color.

Is a carpet beetle a bed bug.

They look much different from bed bugs. Bed bugs and carpet beetles are both very small. Both the bed bug and the carpet beetle are problematic. Carpet beetles look more striped with a white and brown color palette.

The biggest difference is in size. That s because bed bugs always look the same but there are a lot of carpet beetle. However the carpet beetle is the smallest of the two and averages 1 8th of an inch in length while the bed bug is about 1 4th of an inch long. If you re not sure which you have you can have an exterminator come look for bedbugs.

But the main difference is that the varied carpet beetle does not feed on blood. Also once magnified the varied carpet beetle larvae actually look like tiny furry caterpillars with little spines on them whereas the bed bug larvae look like little worms. Also carpet beetles feed on fabric type substances and bed bugs feed on blood. Bed bugs are in the family cimicidae while carpet beetles are in the family dermestids.

The carpet beetle and bed bug not only leave similar looking bites but there are other similarities. Dark protruding eyes and wing like structures on either side of the head. Bed bugs do not but look similar to an apple seed with legs. About 1 5 inch long.

Immature bed bugs are similar to adult about the size of a poppy seed and yellowish white in color. You will notice the difference in color. Is it a bed bug cockroach or carpet beetle. Because carpet beetle larvae are bigger than bed bugs you may be more likely to see the beetles themselves.

The official name for the varied carpet beetle is anthrenus verbasci they are small about 3mm in length and flat in their shape. Bed bugs measure of an inch long. Carpet beetles on the other hand measure between 1 16 of an inch and 1 8 of an inch long. The difference here is that bed bugs have a mouth made for piercing skin and sucking blood while carpet beetles have a mouth made for chewing on plants and other fibrous material.

Varied carpet beetles do have brown on their backs but they look more spotted or striped with white and light colored patches mixed with brown. Bed bugs will hide in bedding in ribbing around mattresses in the cracks of hardwood floors behind electrical outlets behind wall coverings in. The carpet beetle looks like a bed bug when they are small but as they grow. Reddish brown flattened and oval in shape.

You ve noticed that carpet beetles length varies a lot while bed bugs are always the same length. Bed bug larvae look like little worms while carpet beetle larvae look like fuzzy bugs with little spines all over them.